Arsenal have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Basel defender Eder Balanta on a cut-price deal during this summer’s transfer window.
The north London club experienced a disappointing end to the campaign as they succumbed to a Europa League final defeat to Chelsea and that has meant that they won’t be plying their trade in next season’s Champions League.
Despite this, the Gunners are expected to do some transfer business during the summer to strengthen the squad and The Irish Mirror claims that they could begin the same with a bargain deal for Basel’s Balanta.
The 26-year-old has the versatility to play in both the central defensive and left-back positions and reports indicate that he could be available for as less as £4m with his contract expiring in 12 months’ time.
Unai Emery’s side are said to be working on a restricted £45m budget for the summer and considering this, the club may need to be decisive in order to make the most of the budget to reinforce the squad effectively.
Balanta, who is a full Colombia international, made 31 appearances for Basel during the recent campaign, but he could not sustain an extended run of games for the club with multiple injuries and suspensions coming to the fore.
As such, the statistics don’t make for good reading, but he may have caught the eye of the Gunners boss due to his versatility, with the added advantage of being left-footed and possessing strong passing attributes (whoscored).
